


Hollow

by AgentManatee



Series: Alya FitzSimmons Fall Prompts [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alya Fitzsimmons - Freeform, Angst, Child's Perspective, Fall prompts, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, fitzsimmons family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26631133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentManatee/pseuds/AgentManatee
Summary: Alya doesn't know how to feel after eavesdropping on a very personal question between Fitz and May.This fulfills number 19 (Hollow) of loved-the-stars-too-fondly Fall Prompts.
Relationships: Alya Fitz & Leo Fitz, Alya Fitz & Melinda May, Leo Fitz & Melinda May
Series: Alya FitzSimmons Fall Prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937365
Comments: 14
Kudos: 33





	Hollow

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting Fitz and May to comfort each other over seeing the other die since the end of season 6. I could almost hear their conversation play out in my head, and that conversation changed as they revealed May's new empathy powers and their extent. I also wanted to try out some Fall prompts. I originally intended to make bullet fics, but this fic came to me and just flowed. I apologise that my first foray into fic is so angsty. I hope you enjoy.

Alya was probably a little too excited about Melinda May staying with the family for the coming week. OK, so she was definitely way too excited. After all the only reason she’s here is to recover from a particularly stubborn infection under her mother’s watchful eye. She just loves spending time with her Nai Nai, and she practically gets her all to herself! Mama and Da have their hands full with the twins, and Alya is all too pleased to take on the very important duty of keeping Nai Nai Mel in bed. Besides, she’s the only one who really can get her to stay in one place. 

Da told her he’d take care while she helps Mama with dinner, but Alya just knows that even Nai Nai can out-stubborn him and silly Da must have forgot. So she must go and check on them, but she’ll be quiet so Da doesn’t know she’s supervising. But she’ll have to leave him to his own devices for the time being; Mama gave her the important task of setting the table and she must make the perfect centerpiece for their guest. She also needs to keep an eye on her napping siblings while her parents are busy.

“May! You have to re-“ Fitz says while making May lay back, or at least trying to.

“I told you, Fitz, call me Melinda.” May crosses her arms in frustration while repositioning herself. “You may not be the kid I recruited all those years ago, but I’m not some fragile-”

“Old lady, I know. You’re still the strongest person I know. And most stubborn,” Fitz replies as he sits next to her. “It’s just…just I saw you die ok. That was horrible. Someone we trusted, someone you loved stabbed you right in front of us and there was nothing I could do -- nothing Jemma could do -- to stop it. And then the chronicoms attacked and we lost contact with all of you and…” 

“You saved me. The both of you. You found a way just like you and Jemma always do.”

“Doesn’t change that it happened.”

“It doesn’t,” May acknowledges. “I watched you die, too.” Fitz froze.

“You were there? I…I didn’t know.”

May nods. “Mack, too. Jemma didn’t tell you what happened exactly?”

Fitz shook his head, “Too painful for her, and to be honest I didn’t want to know or cause her any more pain.” May’s eyes shine with understanding. “I suppose you don’t need your power to know how I felt when I saw…” Fitz swallows. 

May sighs but gasps when they hear something crash to the ground. “Fitz, Alya heard.” Her voice is urgent while Fitz goes to investigate the noise. He finds a broken vase with collected flowers. “Bring her here after you find her. I’ll talk to her.” She knows Fitz won’t be able to find the right words for this situation.

Fitz does know that he will find Alya curled into her favorite hiding spot – under his workbench in the garden shed – with her favorite stuffed monkey Kitty. And find her he does. She’s beside herself and won’t talk to him when he coaxes her out, so he carries her to Melinda as he whispers comforting words in her ear.

“Come here, bao bei,” Melinda holds her arms out for Alya to crawl into. Fitz sits beside them keeping his hand on Alya’s back to remind her of his presence. Melinda takes a moment to just let Alya’s emotions flow over her before starting to hum their special lullaby that’s just for Melinda to sing to Alya. When Alya’s sobs soften to hiccups, she asks what all she heard.

“Da said he lost you…and you said…” she breaks into another sob.

“Shh. You should never have had to hear that. I’m sorry you did. But we’re here now.”

“How could someone be here if their dead? I don’t understand.”

“Your mom. She saved us.”

Alya smiles at that, “Mama is a hero."

“And your Da. He saved Robin’s mom.”

“He did? Robin’s my best friend!”

Fitz smiles and Melinda laughs, “We know. He saved the world, too. We all did.”

“If you say so,” Alya gives them a doubtful look. She knows her family is full of heroes, but she doesn’t know how to feel about sharing her heroes with the rest of the world. She’s happy to share them with Charles and Aster, but that’s only because they mean the whole entire universe to her. And Mama says she’s their hero, too.

Fitz places his hand on Alya’s face to get her to look into his eyes, “That was before and we will not leave you anytime soon, ok?”

Alya nods, but Melinda can tell she still feels confused. “Is it weird that I kinda miss you right now?”

“Not at all,” Melinda answers. “When your mom gives me the all clear, I’ll take you on special trip.”

“Just you and me?!”

“Just you and me.” May starts to give Fitz a look but sees that he’s not about to argue. There’s no arguing when Alya’s face beams in excitement. Frankly, Fitz is relieved that a trip with Melinda May is all it takes to cheer her up. His little girl is so much stronger than he was at that age.

“What’s this about a trip without us?” Jemma comes into the room with two infants in her arms. She kisses Fitz before handing him Charles who promptly grabs his tearful face. 

“How about we talk about it over dinner? I’m famished.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'll leave it up to the audience on who said the last line.  
> Alya is about 6 in this fic. Her brother and sister are close to 1.  
> Did I name Alya's monkey Kitty to reference that I have a cat named Monkey? Yes. Do I regret it? Never.


End file.
